Faq

Photography - Travelers

- Who is this trip for?

Any traveller is welcome on these photo tours, from amateur to professional photographers – even travellers who take photographs with their mobiles. The trip focuses on getting to know Cuba and its people as we learn about photography and visit the most hidden and photogenic places.

- Can I travel if I have limited knowledge about photography?

If your knowledge about photography is limited, your learning margin will be greater. Your skill level is not important; what matters is your passion for photography, travelling and people. These are the three most important points under the guidance by Louis Alarcon.The trip isn’t only focused on taking good pictures, but also on living experiences and telling them through photographs, thereby practicing the visual narrative besides photographic technique.

- What photography equipment should I take?

You can take your usual equipment, but it is advisable that you don’t use lenses over 80 mm. The reason is quite simple – the larger your lens, the less you’ll approach people, and you will miss the opportunity of discovering photography up close in a country where photographers and good conversation are always welcome.

- Why 5 travellers maximum?

Most photo tours admit 10 travellers; some even take 15. If you take a look at the photographs taken by their participants, they usually look a lot alike, and they are mostly taken on the streets, since it is very difficult to visit more intimate places with these groups.

Louis Alarcón lives in Cuba and conducts his workshops solely inside this country. He is not a passing traveller, and he wishes to share his deep knowledge of the country, as well as to visit hidden and special places. This would be absolutely impossible for a tourist group exceeding 5 travellers.

Louis daily checks the photographers’ photos, personally providing guidance to each of the participants. This task would be impossible to accomplish at this level of quality with a larger group.

- Is it a strict trip regarding schedules or is it flexible?

It is a flexible trip. Cuba offers travellers adventures at each corner, and besides, by being a small group, flexibility is much greater. We may not be able to carry out some of the activities described in the program because another improvised activity materialized and we decided to enjoy it and photograph it.

- The first-day problem, “the laid-back Cuban lifestyle”. Why?

Experience shows some European and American travellers feel stressed in Cuba on the first day. The reason is that, in Cuba, everything has a different pace - slow, leisurely, cheerful and sometimes unpunctual. This tends to stress out some travellers coming from countries with a more vertiginous pace.It is curious that “relaxation stresses”, but one of the encouragements of this trip is understanding, enjoying and melding with a lifestyle that is unlike that of any other country in the world.

Accommodation - Guides - Travel Agency

- Why do we stay at Cuban private homes?

Locally Sourced Cuba and Louis Alarcon have arranged for accommodations at quality private homes.This way, travellers enjoy a more direct contact with the Cuban people. Rooms are separate, with all comforts, similar to bed & breakfasts.

- Who guides this trip?

The trip is organized by the Locally Sourced Cuba travel agency and led by Louis Alarcon along with one of LSC’s guides.

- What are Cuba’s advantages in relation to other countries?

In Louis’s words, Cuba is not “another” country; it is simply “another” planet.

Geographic, historical and political characteristics of Cuba have created a country that almost eludes any attempt at classification, with unique particularities that surprise all travelers.One of these particularities is the safety of the country, the warm character of Cubans and the kindness with which tourists and photographers are taken in, allowing for photos that would be extremely difficult to take in other countries.

- What is the Locally Sourced Cuba Travel Agency?

LSC is an agency that fully specializes in Cuba, with a long track record in the country. It is a 21st-century agency that doesn’t abide by old tourism standards, adapting to the new
needs of travellers instead. Some of its strong points are: their
resource availability in Cuba, the constant search for new locations and
activities for travellers, and especially the quality of their guides,
all of them university graduates, with a highly proficient level of
English and a great capability for empathizing with travellers.